Shelf Life 18: Under the Volcanoes

Researchers are trying to uncover the secret “ingredients” behind dangerous eruptions. Expeditions to Mt. Vesuvius—one of the world’s best-known volcanoes—and Alaska’s Mt. Saint Augustine provide specimens that can be compared to materials synthesized in the lab. Understanding what makes one volcano’s magma so much more explosive than another may one day help us avoid volcanic disasters. Join a volcanic expedition from the Museum’s past, and learn more about Curator Jim Webster’s work on the Shelf Life episode website.